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Nel 1993, sulla scia del successo della cover di “Mrs. Robinson” , che aveva rappresentato l’ ideale anello di congiunzione tra l’ epoca flowers di fine anni '60 e le irrequietudini della famigerata “X generation” di cui tanto si parlò all’alba dello scorso decennio, i Lemonheads di Evan Dando erano la rock band americana più famosa del mondo, baciata dalle vendite persino nell’ Inghilterra ostile alle camicie di flanella e ai molteplici cloni di Kurt Cobain che spuntarono come funghi negli ultimi spasmi della disgraziata vicenda dei Nirvana. Eppure, sminuire la carriera di questo gruppo cresciuto nella florida tradizione della scena college rock di Boston a un semplice hit furbescamente ammiccante a un revival di tendenza è assolutamente limitante e decisamente inesatto, perché significherebbe voltare le spalle a un percorso artistico iniziato sin dal finire degli anni '80 con una manciata di dischi composti prevalentemente nella camera di Dando (ex teenager arrabbiato, aspirante poeta disilluso e sfuggente, felicemente dedito all’ uso di droghe), irruenti, tesi, dichiaratamente anticommerciali e profondamente influenzati dai gruppi hardcore di culto all’ epoca (Husker Du e Fugazi in primis) che hanno tuttavia gettato le basi per quello che sarebbe poi diventato lo stile personalissimo del folk rock umorale di un disco come “It’ s A Shame About Ray” del 1992.
I Lemonheads, rappresentati in “Come On Feel” fondamentalmente dal solo Evan Dando e dalla sua compagna Juliana Hatfield (figura imprescindibile dell’ indie rock americano e nome di punta dell’ intero movimento delle rriot girls con le Black Babies) raggiunsero il definitivo consenso di critica e pubblico senza nemmeno cambiare molto il loro modo di comporre e di suonare, aprendosi però maggiormente a uno stile maggiormente melodico ed emotivo: le canzoni che compongono questo disco (che si avvale persino di improbabili partecipazioni di artisti quanto mai distanti dalla band come Rick James e Belinda Carlisle) sono i tipici casi in cui si può tranquillamente parlare di “gioielli pop” senza violentare ulteriormente un termine abusatissimo. “Into Your Arms” (il più grande hit dei Lemonheads se escludiamo “Mrs. Robinson), “It’ s About Time” , e “Rest Assured” sono tre capolavori guitar pop di innocente ruvidità, in cui le armonie, debitrici dei migliori Byrds e Big Star, nascondono lo stesso umore sofferto e intensamente struggente di quello che proponevano, in modo noioso e pesante, i gruppi grunge in voga in quegli anni. Evan Dando è l’ altra faccia di Kurt Cobain: entrambi con le loro canzoni esprimevano il lato malinconico e nervoso dell’ adolescenza, ma con metodi compositivi assolutamente diversi. Nella musica dei Lemonheads, fintamente solare, felicemente apatica, aggressivamente dolce, risiede la malinconia di mille pomeriggi uggiosi, di rare giornate primaverili, di inverni passati in casa con qualche amico a fumarsi qualche canna, parlare di qualche ragazza che non ci sta e a riempirsi di domande e dubbi sul proprio presente e sul proprio futuro. Il country epico di “Big Gay Heart” è quasi un manifesto concettuale che delinea la personalità di un Evan Dando probabilmente mai come ora perfettamente padrone del proprio linguaggio artistico, capace di regolare costruttivamente una schizofrenia creativa che in fin dei conti lo porta a passare, apparendo sempre assolutamente coerente, da una “Style” venata di rabbia punk noise rock al folk cerebrale di “Favorite T” , passando per il pop sbilenco e stralunato di “Being Around” e il guitar rock di “Dawn Can’ t Decide” fino a quella che è, assieme a “Confetti” e “Into Your Arms” l’ apice melodico della sua avventura musicale, la meravigliosa “Down About It” , pop song impregnata di nostalgia frustrata che potrebbe anche far pensare a una versione ripulita degli sfoghi adolescenziali degli Husker Du di “Zen Arcade” se non ci fosse una versione acustica da brividi (presente in una edizione speciale del “Best Of” pubblicato qualche anno fa) che dà nuova luce al pezzo originale, grazie anche alla straordinaria prova offerta da Juliana Hatfield, sirena confusa e ammaliante che di sicuro rappresenta uno dei punti di forza di questo album ancora lontano da una effettiva “riscoperta” da parte delle nuove generazioni.
In ogni caso, i Lemonheads rimangono certamente un capitolo da ricordare con affetto per chiunque si sia sentito parte anche solo marginalmente di quella “X generation” alla quale Evan Dando fu attribuito (erroneamente, si potrà ribattere, ma la storia è andata così) e consiglio questo disco “dimenticato” degli anni '90 per passare un inverno piacevole immedesimandosi nelle parole e nelle armonie dolciamare di un cantautore verso il quale saranno in molti, prima o poi, a pagare pegno.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 The Great Big NO (02:51)
Lover don't turn your head.
Just let me walk away.
I thought I might have to say,
you're asking the wrong guy.
She wonders how.
Thinks she knows now.
She'll be right.
They always go bye the bye.
The great big no. Great big no.
Great big no. Great big no.
Is nothing okay with you.
Is nothing okay with me.
Is anything happening to have to go to sea.
He wonders why. The indigo guy,
He'll be right.
They always go bye the bye.
The great big no. Great big no.
Great big no. Great big no.
Everyone knows everything
Everyone knows everything
Nobody, nobody has got no one to go to.
Great big no.
Great big no.
Great big no.
Great big no.
Whoah (Lover don't turn your head.)
Lover don't turn your head.
No. (Lover don't turn your head.)
Is nothing okay with you?
02 Into Your Arms (02:44)
For the D, alternate between x00232 and x00032 )
D G Em
I know a place where I can go when I'm alone
G Em G Em
into your arms whoa into your arms
D D6
I can go
G Em
I know a place that's safe and warm from the crowd
G Em G Em
into your arms whoa into your arms
----
"Into Your Arms"
From: Yamin Jie (jace@spin.net.au)
-0----0--------3-------------2-----------------------
-2--2----2-----0----0----3---3-----------------------
-2---------2---0--0---0--0---2-----------------------
-2---------0---0---------0---------------------------
-0---------0---2-------------------------------------
---------------3-------------------------------------
And If I should fall ...
-0----0------3-----------0-----------0----0------0----0--------
-2--2---2----0----0---3--0----0------2--2---2----2--2---2------
-2--------2--0--0---0-0--0--0---0----2--------2--2--------2----
-2--------0--0--------0--2--------2--2----------------------2--
-0--------0--2-----------2-----------0-------------------------
-------------3-----------0-------------------------------------
I know I won't be alone.
SOLO 1:
E-------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------
G-7-9-11---9-11-12---19---18-16-16-14---11-9-11-9-
D---0-0----0-0--0----0----0--0--0--0--------------
A-------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------
G-------------------9-11-9-11-12-14-14-
D--12-11-------9-12--------------------
A--------12-12-------------------------
E--------------------------------------
SOLO 2:
----------------------------------
---------------------P------------
-7-9-11-12---19----19-16----------
-0-0-0--0----0-----------14/16----
----------------------------------
----------------------------------
03 It's About Time (02:41)
Bite my tongue
and I won't say a word against anyone
but I don't wanna get my fingers wet
unless it's an accident
fell out on the street
now I'm watching my shoes and I grit my teeth
but I don't have to look that way
if I had half a say
It's about time
It's about time
lick my lips
and I won't hear the end of this
On your knees a reassurance
buy some time and come back for it
before long
before it's gone
patience is like bread I say
I ran out of that yesterday
it's about time
it's about time
enough about us
let's talk about me
if not about you
It's not about sunshine
It's about time
It's about time
touch my leg
It's smooth but there stubble there
I'll fall back and let'em go
only when I know you know
I don't know
make me sure
Have your people contact mine
and keep your lawyer on the line
it's about time (x4)
05 Paid to Smile (02:59)
Could you see your way clear
and arrange your eyes away from mine
Sorry I'm here
but you get paid get paid to lie
You get paid to smile
Would you really say hello
and let me carry my own guitar
and please don't hold the door
I can work the handle on any car
It's really not that hard
smile, paid to smile
smile, paid to smile
oooh
the cigarette girl took off her tray
and dropped her dress in a shiny pile
pulled her pants up on her way
when gets home she'll laugh a while
she gets paid to smile
smile
smile
smile
smile
smile
smile
08 Rest Assured (02:32)
***Capo on the 2nd fret****
Intro
D2 A5 G5 Em (repeat)
Verse
D2 A5 G5 Em
One of the reasons I came all this way
D2 A5 G5 Em
Two opposite seasons i had to hear you say
Pre-Chorus
Em F#m G
You were gonna hang around a while
Em F#m G A
I notice my old postcard in a pile
One, two, three, four
Verse
Pepper, salt, sugar, and tarragon, we're hanging by the pool,
mortar bricks and aluminum
step one, figure two
Pre-Chorus
I know its prob'ly not my place,
Watch the water drain a differnt way
One two
One two three
Chorus
D A G Em
If I could you know i'd try to
D A G Em
Rest Assured i've half a mind to
D A G Em
Rest assured i've half a mind to
D A G Em
If I could you know i'd try to
solo:
D G,
D G,
Em F#m G x3
A
Verse
Pop it to lock it, Come on lets map it out
It's not what you do with me its what you do without
Pop it to lock it, Come on lets map it out
Chorus
If I could you know I'd try to
Rest Assured I've half a mind to
Ask the other half it i might
Rest Assured
G, Em7
09 Dawn Can't Decide (02:18)
Dawn can't decide
if there should be more of the porch,
she's sick of being inside.
He read the signs
and now they're making out in Lancaster
just to pass the time. Woo!
Curtis C called.
Left a message in japenese.
Dawn took the call.
Reviewed the newest Taang! release
Joe shudda known that the Long Island Lolita would be the cause.
Feels good to be Jesse on the inside today.
Feels good to be Jesse on the inside today.
(Buttafuoco!)
G minor morning was a D minor dawning.
G minor morning was a D minor dawning.
G minor morning was a D minor dawning.
And you strike, strike the right chord,
right chord, the right chord in me.
Strike the right chord.
Bah bah bah bah.
Bah bah bah bah bah, bah bah, bah bah bah bah bah.
No paperwork.
No paperwork.
bah bah bah bah
bah bah bah bah bah, bah bah, bah.
bah bah bah bah.
Bah bah bah bah bah bah bah bah.
bah bah bah. Dawn can't decide. Dawn can't decide.
10 I'll Do It Anyway (03:34)
INTRO:
F# B E C#m F# A B
E F# B
Bless my soul maybe I should leave it alone
E F# B
I'm sure it could be safer to stay at home
E
You've made your point
F# G#m
It's pointless and it's all gonna burn
E F# B
I'm in no state to skate but I'm gonna take my turn
E F# B
I know you may never really understand
E F# B
Why go through these motions with my hands
E
It's a gesture at best
F# G#m
But my body's in the right place
E F# B
to fall in your arms now and wait to save face
F# B
I'll do it anyway
E
no matter what they feel
C#m
Ain't got all the facts
F#
but I got a hunch
B
and I know the deal
F# B
I'll do it anyway
E
shine what you might have heard
C#m
There's something at hand
F#
It just ain't planned
B F#
It's still a beautiful world
(solo)
E C#m G#m
E C#m G#m
E C#m G#m
E F# B
(same as above:)
American men you know them
they just gotta be right
When it's left to me
often times I'd rather not fight
They make a big deal out of everything
and they got too many guns
and just to make 'em mad
I'm gonna do it for fun
I'll do it anyway
no matter what they feel
Ain't got all the facts
but I got a hunch
and I know the deal
I'll do it anyway
shine what you might have heard
There's something at hand
It just ain't planned
It's still a beautiful world
I'll do it anyway
no matter what they feel
Ain't got all the facts
but I got a hunch
and I know the deal
I'll do it anyway
over the barren plains
I'm still a girl
and it's just a horse
and I got the reins
12 Being Around (01:48)
If I was in the fridge, would you open the door?
If I was the grass, would you mow your lawn?
If I was your body, would you still wear clothes?
If I was a booger, would you blow your nose?
Would you keep it? Would you eat it?
I'm just tryin to give myself a reason, for being around.
If I was the front porch swing would you let me hang?
If I was the dance floor would you shake your thing?
If I was a rubber check would you let me bounce
Up and down inside your bank account?
Would ya trust me, not to break you?
I'm just tryin really hard to make you,
notice me being around.
If I was a haircut would you wear a hat?
If I was a maid, could I clean your flat?
If I was the carpet would ya wipe your feet,
In time to save me from mud off the street?
If you like me, if you love me,
why don't you get down on your knees
and scrub me?
I'm a little grubby
From being around.
13 Favorite T (02:59)
I thought we had an understanding there that wouldn't leave too soon Figure it over and you'll find out where your green shirt's gone Had to hear about your Danish boyfriend I forced a swoon So I went over to your dresser drawer and now I got it on I got it on your favourite Tee It never looked as good on you as it looks on me I got it on I'll wait and see I used to wear it every day and now it's twice a week Fill in the shadows of a certain corner you used to sit there got me a brand new lamp, plugged it in and now the dark don't fit there Ain't got the time or the inclination to see this through I'm lookin up, climbing out of the station and the sky's too blue Chorus: The sky's too blue The sky's too blue It mightn't suit me quite as well as it used to I got it on Your favourite tee I used to wear it every day...
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